A tiny village in Pennsylvania hosted a bizarre mass marriage blessing ceremony, where couples praised their AR-15s and wore crowns made of bullets

Get the Full StoryAssociated Press Jacqueline Larma

On the last day in February, hundreds of worshippers took to a small Pennsylvania village with their AR-15 rifles for a bizarre ceremony that simultaneously blessed their marriages and celebrated each member's "rod of iron."

The ceremony was held at Newfoundland's World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, where Rev. Sean Moon prayed for "a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing."

This particular church is a "breakaway faction" of South Korea's Unification Church, which is widely regarded as a cult, according to the Associated Press.

Here's how the mass blessing went down:Couples traveled to Newfoundland, Pennsylvania from across the country and around the world to attend the ceremony. People came from as far away as Japan, South Korea, and Europe.

Associated Press Jacqueline Larma

Source: NPR

The church recently adopted the belief that the AR-15 rifle, which was recently used in a mass shooting at a Florida high school, symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the New Testament's Book of Revelation.

Associated Press Jacqueline Larma

Sources: NPR, Associated Press

The church was anxious to convey to media that the ceremony was meant to bless couples, not "inanimate objects." Tim Elder, the church's director of world missions, said the AR-15 is merely a "religious accoutrement."

Associated Press Jacqueline Larma

Source: Associated Press

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